Lock



Filed Dec. 17, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

LOCK

Edward H. Simonsen, Elmwood Park, Ill., assignor to Simonsen Metal Products Company, Chicago, llll., a corporation of Illinois Application December 17, 1954, Serial No. 475,913

7 Claims. (Cl. 292-475) This invention relates to locks and is more particularly concerned with improvements in spring actuated locks of the type used on boxes, chests and luggage, or the like.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved clasp or lock construction of the pivoted hasp type which is particularly adapted for use on tool, tackle or utility boxes, and as suitcase or luggage hardware, and which can be manufactured and assembled in a more economical manner than previous devices of this character.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a lock of the type described in which the lock plate and its associated mechanism is positioned in an assembly plate and thereafter the assembly plate is connected to the main housing or casing in a novel manner without the use of any fastening elements for directly connecting the assembly plate to the housing.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lock of the type described in which a lock plate and its associated lock mechanism is enclosed between a back assembly plate and a front or main housing and the assembly plate is held in position by a sliding connection between the same and the locking plate, with the latter being held in sliding relation with the main housing by engagement with a finger button slidably mounted on the outer face of the main housing.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the lock mechanism which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the outer or front portion of a lock which embodies therein the principal features of the invention as it appears when attached to a tackle or tool box;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lock mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with portions broken away;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the lock plate and its associated mechanism assembled with the assembly plate; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing all the lock elements.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a lock mechanism which is adapted to be applied to a two-part tool or tackle box, suitcase, chest, or the like, and which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention. The lock comprises an outer housing or main casing 14 which is adapted to be secured to the one section of a box or the like by rivets 11 and which includes a raised central housing portion 12 having associated therewith a lock bolt or plate 13 and a lock enclosing assembly plate 14, with the lock plate 13 being slidable relative to both the front housing 12 and the back plate 14 through the operation of a finger button 15 and being normally urged into a locking position by a spring 16, in which position the lock plate 13 engages a locking pin 17 on a hasp 18 which is pivoted at 19 to an attaching plate 20,

ttes Pater the latter being secured to the other member of the box by rivets 21.

The outer casing member 10 is preferably formed from a metal plate with a raised central portion 12 forming a housing and with laterally extending side wing or flange forming portions adapted to seat against the wall of the box to which the casing is attached by the rivets 11. The central housing 12 is provided at its upper end with an outwardly indented or raised portion 22 which is apertured at 23 to receive the locking bolt 17 on the hasp 18. The housing 12 is also apertured adjacent its lower end at 24 for accommodating portions of the finger button 15.

The housing 12 is adapted .to be closed at the rear side by an assembly plate 14 which has top and bottom wall forming flanges 25 and 26 and side wall forming flanges 27 and 28. When .the plate 14 is positioned with the side and end walls in the housing 12, these walls space the body of the same from the front wall of the housing 12 and provide a compartment or enclosure for the sliding lock plate 13. The back or base assembly plate 14 is provided adjacent its upper end with an aperture 29 which is adapted to be aligned with the aperture 23 in the housing 12. At its lower end the assembly plate 14 is provided with an aperture 30 which is adapted to be aligned with the aperture 24 in the housing 12. In its middle portion the assembly plate 14 has struck from its back wall a tongue 31 which is also bent over, as shown in Fig. 6. The tongue 31 is adapted to extend through an .L-shaped slot 33 in the center of the lock plate 13 and serves as a guide and connecting element -for holding the lock plate 13 in sliding and connected relation with the assembly plate 14 in the housing '12.

The lock plate 13 has its upper portion olfset outwardly and is formed at its upper edge with .an indented portion which is also cut away at :its top or outer edge to provide a semi-circular latching slot 34 which is adapted to cooperate with a peripheral recess or groove 35 in the latch pin 17. The lock plate 13 is normally urged into latching or locking relation with the pin 17 by the actuating spring 16, the latter being generally -U-shaped and being positioned between the lower edge of the plate 13 and the inside of the bottom flange or wall 26 of the assembly plate 14. The width of plate 13 is slightly less than the distance between the side walls 27 and 28 of the assembly plate 14 and the side walls .27 and 28 function as guide members for insuring the proper movement of the plate 13 to seat the slotted upper edge in the groove 35 in the latch pin 17.

A locking tumbler or bolt member 36 is mounted intermediate the ends of the lock plate 13 and adapted to slide in a transverse path between tongues 37 which are struck up from the body of the plate 13 and form a transverse guideway for the locking bolt or dog 36. The locking tumbler .36 is generally triangular in shape with a re cess 38 at its upper edge for receiving one end of a flat leaf spring .39, the other end of the spring 39 being engaged with the edge of one of the struck up guide tongues 37. The spring 39 urges the locking tumbler 36 downwardly while permitting transverse sliding movement .of the same. The bottom edge 40 of the locking tumbler 36 .is formed to provide cam surfaces for cooperation with a key (not shown), the lock plate 13 being provided with anaperture 41 for supporting the end of the key. At one end thelockingtumbler36 is provided with a tailor shoul der 4-2 which is adapted to move into and out of a cutaway portion in the :side wall '27 of the assembly plate which provides an abutment edge 43 tor engagement with the tail 42 when the locking tumbler 36 is moved by the proper rotation of the key to the left as shown in Fig. 5. The locking tumbler 36 is movable to the right by operation of the key to permit the lock plate 13 to be slid against the action of the spring 16 to an unlocking or unlatching position. The lock plate 13 is provided below the locking tumbler 36 with laterally spaced apertures 44 which receive the ends of the legs 45 of the finger button 15, the legs 45 extending through the aperture 24 in the main housing 12 and being turned over into engaging relation with the back wall of the lock plate 13. The back assembly plate 14 is provided with the aperture 30 for accommodating the movement of the turned over ends of the legs 45. The back plate 14 is also provided with protuberances or detents 46 which extend from the rear face thereof and engage with the surface on which the mechanism is mounted, preventing twisting movement of the back plate 14 and its associated lock mechanism in the shell 12.

In assembling the lock mechanism, the lock plate 13, the locking tumbler 36 and spring 39 are assembled in the relationship shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and the lock plate 13 is positioned on the assembly plate 14 with the tongue 31 extending through the guide slot 33 and with the operating spring 16 inserted as shown in Fig. 5, the latter urging the lock plate 13 into its uppermost latch engaging position as shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter the assembly plate 14 is positioned within the housing 12 and the finger button is connected to the lock plate 13 by passing the ends of the legs 45 through the apertures 44 and clinching the same. When assembled in this manner, the lock mechanism is held within the housing 12 without any direct connection between the back assembly plate 14 and the housing 12. This eliminates any lugs or other extraneous connecting members between the housing 12 and the assembly plate 14 while at the same time the lock mechanism is held in assembled relation with the main casing so that the latter may be readily attached to the box by means of the rivets 11.

While specific materials and particular details of construction have been referred to in describing the illustrated form of the invention, it will be understood that other materials and other details of construction may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A clasp of the character described, comprising a casing, an assembly plate adapted to be positioned in opposed spaced relation to the inner wall of the casing, a lock plate slidably mounted between the assembly plate and the easing, a spring positioned between the lock plate and the assembly plate which tends to urge the lock plate toward one end of the assembly plate, an L-shaped aperture in the lock plate and a guide finger struck from the assembly plate and extending in bent-over relation through the aperture in the lock plate, the casing having an aperture and a finger button mounted in sliding relation over the aperture with attaching lugs extending through the aperture and into connected relation with the lock plate.

2. In a box lock having an outer casing, an inner assembly plate, and a sliding lock plate mounted on the assembly plate, interengaging means between the lock plate and the assembly plate for holding the lock plate and the assembly plate in sliding connected relation, said casing having an aperture therein and an operating member for the lock plate mounted for sliding movement on the exterior of the casing, said operating member having portions extending through the aperture in the outer casing which are interconnected with the lock plate to hold the lock plate and the assembly plate in connected relation with the outer casing.

3. A lock for a box comprising an outer supporting casing having an indented portion providing a housing for a lock mechanism, a lock mechanism comprising an assembly plate provided with interned flanges at the sides and ends which are adapted to be seated within the housing, a slidable lock plate assembled in sliding relation with the assembly plate and connected thereto by an interengaging tongue and slot connection, said outer supporting casing having an aperture and an operating member for the lock mechanism extending through the aperture and engaged with the lock plate.

4. A lock of the type described, comprising an outer supporting casing having an indented portion providing a housing, a lock mechanism comprising an assembly plate provided with inturned flange portions at the ends which are adapted to be seated within the housing, a lock plate assembled in sliding relation with the assembly plate, said assembly plate having a guide tongue and said lock plate having a guide slot for receiving said tongue, said outer supporting casing having an aperture and an operating member for the lock mechanism extending through the aperture in the outer supporting casing and engaged with the lock plate.

5. A lock for a utility box comprising an outer supporting casing having an indented portion, a back assembly plate provided with inturned flanges at the sides and ends which are adapted to be seated within the indented portions of the outer supporting casing said back assembly plate cooperating with the indented portion of the outer supporting casing to form a compartment, a slidable lock plate assembled in sliding relation with the assembly plate and within the compartment, one of said plates having a tongue and the other of said plates having a guide slot therein for connecting said plates in interengaged sliding relation, the indented portion of the outer supporting casing having an aperture and a finger button for operating the lock plate, said finger button being mounted for sliding movement on the outside of the indented portion of the outer supporting casing and having leg members extending through the aperture in the indented portion and engaged with the lock plate.

6. In a box lock having an outer casing, an inner assembly plate, and a sliding lock plate mounted on the assembly plate, an L-shaped slot in a middle portion of the lock plate and a bent-over tongue on the assembly plate extending through said slot for holding the lock plate and the assembly plate in sliding connected relation, said outer casing having an aperture therein and an operating button for the lock plate slidably mounted on the outside of said outer casing and having portions extending through the aperture in the outer casing and secured to the lock plate to hold the lock plate and the assembly plate in connected relation with the outer casing.

7. A hasp type lock for a tackle or tool box, comprising an outer lock casing, a back assembly plate having side Wall members adapted to be positioned in the casing, a lock plate slidably mounted between the side wall members of the assembly plate and within the casing, a spring between the locking plate and the assembly plate tending to urge the locking plate toward one end of the assembly plate, an L-shaped aperture in one of the plates and a guide finger struck from the other plate and extending in bent-over relation through said aperture to connect said plates in sliding relation, said outer lock casing having an opening and a finger button mounted in sliding relation over the opening, said finger button having attaching legs extending through the opening and connected to the locking plate to hold the assembly plate and locking plate in connected relation with the outer lock casing and to permit manual sliding movement of the locking plate.

Boesel Feb. 7, 1933 Nelson et al Aug. 4, 1942 

